Legado Mitico Salta

“A sumptuous boutique hotel in the northwest colonial city of Salta, with space and sophistication in spades”

Sister hotel to Legado Mitico Palermo in Buenos Aires, this chic hotel has the air of a discreet private club, from the elegant grey townhouse façade to the impeccably restored antique furniture and Persian rugs. But there’s nothing stuffy about the welcome here: the friendly staff are genuinely delighted to help, and the service is personalised and attentive.

Salta has long needed a luxurious small hotel, and what’s so pleasing about this hideaway is that it bucks the trend for anonymous business hotels in the city. Cleverly reworked from an old school house by the architect owners, its rooms are stylish yet ooze original salteño artefacts (locally made handicrafts, restored antiques and original paintings), creating a strong local identity in a culturally-rich region. Exceptionally spacious interiors convey instant calm, inspiring you to refresh and relax before setting off on remote adventures in the dramatic landscapes of Salta and Jujuy. And, lying just 5 blocks away from the main plaza, this is perfectly located for exploring the city’s beautiful colonial architecture and wonderful museums.

Special offers

for i-escape guests

15% non-refundable discount

20% early booking discount

20% last minute discount

A little extra

for i-escape guests

a room upgrade if available on arrival (not applicable on promotions)

Highs

The 11 stylish rooms are each themed around a famous local figure, giving a strong sense of this area’s rich culture

The vast rooms all come with desks and some private outdoor space (even in the lower price categories)

This is a small, exclusive hotel and the stylish public spaces are shared between just a few guests - perfect for relaxing

Legado Mítico's huge and sultry bathrooms are in a league of their own, with toiletries to match

Lows

Few of the rooms have far-reaching views and most face onto the large internal patio (or a private patio in the Lujo category). Even the street-facing rooms, which have views towards Cerro San Bernado, require you to first overlook the rather uninspiring car park opposite

This is a small hotel, so there's no pool or gym

You may find the service in the evenings lacks the charm and efficiency you’ll experience during the daytime

Best time to go

“The weather is good almost all year round in Salta and the north west in general. Winter (June to August) is sunny, with bright clear days but chilly nights. Summer (December to February) is hot - impossibly so at times - with frequent torrential downpours. Avoid January and February if you’re hoping to explore the rural areas by car, as the roads can get cut off due to flooding.”

Our top tips

“Salta is one of Argentina’s most appealing cities, and a good place to stop for 1 or 2 nights. You'll have time to take in the colonial architecture, museums, markets, rousing folk music and local culture before heading south to Cachi.”

What separates Legado Mítico from other boutique properties is a strong sense of local culture and history. Each of the rooms is themed around a revered local literary or historical figure, whether writer Juana Manuela Gorriti in the La Escritora room, the famous salteño political and military leader Martín Miguel de Güemes in the El Caudillo room or Martina Silva de Gurruchaga, a key female figure in the struggle for independence, in the La Capitana room. Themes are revealed in subtle and stylish ways: perhaps a small library of relevant books, a painting or a framed poem, or local artisanal accents such as colourful woven rugs, traditional handmade dolls or bowls of multi-coloured corn cobs.

All rooms have kingsize beds (all separable into twins, except in the Lujo rooms where they’re four-poster), minibars, phones, safes, hairdryers and huge bathrooms with separate tubs and showers. More exceptionally, all rooms boast some outdoor space, be it a balcony, a patio or a terrace - or both in the case of La Capitana.

Features include:

Air conditioning

Cd player

Central heating

Dvd player

Extra beds

Fan

Hairdryer

Minibar/fridge

Phone

Safe box

Terrace

Toiletries

Tv

WiFi

Eating

There’s no restaurant in the hotel, but a small menu of local specialities (humitas, tamales and locro stew), snacks (soups, sandwiches and pizza) and simple puddings is available all day. It’s fine for a light lunch, though you might prefer to explore the wealth of local eateries nearby. The handsome bar area is the perfect setting to sample a fine Argentine wine from the carefully stocked cellar (by the bottle or the glass), accompanied by picadas (nibbles) of local cheeses and cold meats.

An abundant continental-style breakfast is included in the room price: freshly squeezed orange juice, fruit salad, cereals, freshly baked bread, medialunas (the local take on the croissant), pastries, cold meats and cheeses. Eggs can be cooked on request, and there are excellent leaf teas in muslin bags, including Earl Grey, Darjeeling and Legado Mítico’s own blend.

Staff can advise on where to eat out in the neighbourhood, though their knowledge might be limited. The nearby street of Calle Balcarce has a number of good restaurants and peñas (clubs where the local folk music is sung). La Antigua and Las Leñitas are pretty touristy, but the food is excellent and they’re popular with local people as well as visitors. José Balcarce (on the corner of Mitre and Necochea), serves inspired high-Andean cuisine and fine wines in a reworked 19th-century corner property. At the other end of the scale, authentic local food at rock-bottom prices is dished out on plastic plates at the food stalls of the local market (along Calle San Martín and Calle Florida). What it lacks in sophistication, it makes up for with huge portions and a lively atmosphere.

Features include:

All-day snack menu

Bar

Breakfast

Minibar/fridge

Restaurants nearby

Activities

Allow some time to unwind in the hotel’s lounge/library. Flick through the covetable coffee-table books about the area or get stuck into a more erudite tome on local indigenous culture. Massages and facials in your room can also be arranged

Visit the MAAM (Museum of High Altitude Archaeology) on the Plaza 9 de Julio, the city’s impressive main square. This fascinating centre opened in 2006 to display the ‘children of Llullaillaco’, a complete mountain-top burial of perfectly preserved Inca children sacrificed by pre-Columbian communities, which was unearthed in 1999

Also on the square is the 18th-century cabildo (colonial city hall), with its fascinating museum charting Salta’s history, and the imposing pink cathedral

No visit to Salta is complete without a visit to a peña, a local folk club. They’re a sure bet for good music, tasty food and a lively atmosphere, but be sure to reserve in advance

Salta province and the neighbouring province of Jujuy have some of Argentina’s most spectacular scenery. To the north is the Quebrada de Humahuaca and its picturesque villages. Purmamarca, with its Hill of Seven Colours and excellent craft market, is particularly charming

Head west to the shimmering salt flats of La Puna (an elevated plateau which forms part of the Andean altiplano)

Go south to the Valles Calchaquíes, dotted with pretty oasis villages and high-altitude bodegas where you can sample an array of wines (try the local speciality Torrontes, a wonderfully fragrant and refreshing white)

There are many organised tours to Cachi and Cafayate, but you might prefer to hire a car and go at your own pace (note the roads can get tricky after the heavy rains in January and February)

Activities on site or nearby include:

Historical sites

Museums / galleries

Nightlife

Shopping / markets

Traditional cultures

Kids

Children over 12 are welcome, but this is a distinctly grown-up hotel not best suited to families. Extra beds can be provided in some of the Superior and Lujo rooms for an additional charge.